Fall is by far my favorite season. Not only do I celebrate my birthday during the most colorful time of the real, I’m one of the biggest Halloween fans and love to dress up every year, and it is the ultimate season to go out, discover new places (often those just around the corner) and enjoy the amazing color palette. Because Mother Nature is showing off, for sure. I can be intensely happy with some sunshine on my face, stroll through the fallen leaves (and kicking them high up in the air) and the orange, red, brown colors surrounding me, all bundled up in a cozy knitted scarf and hat, blushing cheeks because of the chilly wind. In love with fall? Moi?
Since variety is the spice of life, I decided to give up on hiking in one of the parks and nature reserves close to my hometown past weekend. My car brought me (a bit less ecological) to the Ardennes, more specifically the beautiful Bérismenil, which was bathing in the sun. I swapped my hiking boots for my trail running shoes and running gear and one and a half hour later, I my watch registered 11 km and 360 elevation meters. During my hopping, crawling in the mud, running and sprinting I followed this route , a trail I already ran earlier this year when it was snowing and freezing and which I found just amazing already then and there. However, the route is also great for some hiking. My excuses for the photo quality. Running and a reflex camera don’t really go together.
The hike (or run, depending on how sporty your legs are feeling) starts just outside the center of the small and homy town Bérismenil, nearby the soccer field of the local football club. From there, you follow the Route d’Houffalize until the Chapel of Lourdes. Just behind the chapel, you take a right and dive into ‘the wilderniss’ on off-road paths, up and down the hills of the Ardennes in the direction of the shore of the Ourthe, from Les Ondes to Le Vernovlin. A bit steep sometimes and quite the challenge, but more than worth it. During the trip, you’re treated with lovely autumn colors, deafening silence (because the route is still quite unknown to tourists), a nicely paved path on the boarder of the river and jaw-dropping views from the hills. If you’re a daredevil like me and would like to run the route, don’t forget to bring a camelbak filled with water and some sugar and salt to keep your energy level high. If you’re hiking, definitely bring a picnic because there are enough nice spots to eat your home-cooked dinner in front of a postcard view.
Snapshots & Postcards 